Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-06-25
A MINE ON FIRE.
LOWER LEVELS OF THE GOULD &
CURRY ABLAZE.
Fifteen Miners Imprisoned - Five
Rescued Alive, and Four
Taken Out Dead.
ESPECIAL DISPATCHES TO THE RECORD UNION

lcopyigAI, 1887, by The California Associated Press.
VIRGINIA New, June oath. = A fire
broke out on the 150o-foot level of the
Gould & Curry at 5 O'Clock this evening.
At this hour q P. ny the fire department
have turned water down the shaft. There
are six men supposed to be imprisoned in
this level.
LATER.-The fire broke out at a point
below the Gould & Curry 130O-foot level.
The miners in the Best & Belcher
came up nearly suffocated. The miners
on the 600-level of the Gould & Curry
escaped through the Savage incline.
There are six miners yet imprisoned
below this level. The names of five of
them are: Charles Dougherty, Martin Ire
gallis, Edward Jeffrey, John Kennedy and
Z. Eddy. Signals from the 1500-foot level,
where these men are, have ceased, and it
IS believed they have been suffocated, al
though they have chance to escape by the
Curry incline to the G. and c. shaft on the
Sutro tunnel level, but it is believed the
smoke is too thick to admit of this.
How the fire originated, or exactly
where, is unknown. 1t is supposed to have
been caused by gas from the Consolidated
California and Virginia. Fans and blowers
are kept going at a high rate of speed, to
supply air to the imprisoned men, if any
hopes for them are left. Columns of dense
smoke are rolling out of the shaft, and the
works are surrounded by great crowds of
people. Danger is feared for the adjoining
mines.
THE LIST OF IMPRISONED MINERS GREATLY
INCREASED.
The name of the sixth miner on the 1 500
level is Foster Hamilton. There are now
total of fifteen men imprisoned. In ad
dition 10 those already named, five men
namely, Richard Bennett, w. James, James
Trembath, W. Williams and H. T. Card
are on the 800 level of the Gould and Curry,
and Joncy Morgan, w. C. Carpenter, R. C.
Bruce and Andrew Bean on the 400 level
The miners on the latter level have one
way of escaping-through the upraise by
ladder to the $50 level. Then they can
reach the surface through the Ell Dorado
tunnel, which is an entrance to the old
Conner shaft.
A REscUING PARTY
Started to go to the 500 level by descending
through the Savage incline, but were forced
to return on account of the smoke. There
is now little hope for the men on the 400
level. The hosting works are filled with
smoke so thick that it has become neces-
sary to remove all the doors and windows
TO allow the engineers to remain at their
posts.
The excitement is intense, and thousands
OF people are at the works.
FIVE MEN RESCUED.
Roger Prendergast with two men de-
scended the Savage shaft and succeeded in
rescuing the miners imprisoned in the 500
level. After several attempts they reached
the face of the drift and found the men
huddled together at the air pipe. They had
trouble in reaching the men, by not being
able TO keep candle burning. The men
were confused as to where the fire was,
and had they known they would have
escaped through the Savage shaft.
Bulkheads have been erected to shut of
all drafts.
The men on the 1 800 level have good
prospects of being rescued, as there is a
cross cut at the north line $50 feet long and a
drift nearly that length leading to the
cross-cut. Air is being sent to this level
constantly.
4 force is getting ready to enter Bonner
shaft to try to get to the 400-foot level, but
the gas is too thick to admit of candle
burning. There are no hopes of rescuing
the men on this level
Superintendent Lyman says he has nc
doubt but the FIRE originated at the head o.
the Gould & Curry incline through g
lighted candle setting fire to the timbers in
which some miner had placed his candle
stick.
Superintendent Patton attempted to reach
the Gould & Curry from the north end, ant
succeeded in reaching the point on th,
Sutro tunnel level where the Gould &
Curry incline connects with it, when ht
saw the timhers on fire. and the spark.
BN1Dk NtONC illAu pNSh. IlC Is SsNlSklGQ tnt
fire is at the head of the Gould & Curry
incline on the 1500-foot level.
The iremen and engineers at the work:
are changing shifts constantly, being un
able to remain at their posts more than
few minutes at any one time. Several have
had to be carried out in the open air, hay
ing become insensible from the gas.
FIVE MEN FOUND DEAD.
1880 P. M.-The rescuing party of twenty
miners reached the imprisoned men on tn,
40Olevel and found five dead. namely.-Johr
Trounce, Joncy Morgan, P. C. Bruce, w. C
Carpenter and Andrew Bean, their bodie,
being still warm. Efforts are being mad,
TO resuscitate them by the application o
electricity and artificial respirations beins
made by physicians, but there are no hopes
The miners are still testing by lighted can
dies to see if its safe to venture to the l50G
level.
Since the bulkheading there is no danger
of the fire being communicated to othel
mines.
SUPERINTENDENT PATTON EXPLAINS TIL
SITUATION IN THE MINE.
VIRGINIA CITY, June 24th.-Midnight.-
Mr.. Patton has just returned from under
ground. and the following is the substanc.
of an interview held with him AT II;
last evening Superintendent Lyman tele
graphed to me that his shaft was on fire
and that men were in the 1900 drift, ano
asking for help. Knowing that the only
connection between the two mines at thai
level was through the Sutro tunnel, an6
from thence through drift running west
erly to the bottom of an incline down 20i
feet from the 1900 station of the Gould &
Curry shaft, l Immediately went to that
eoint and found that the 1900 station of the
Gould & Curry shaft was mass of flames
That located the fire. Now, seeing that
there was no possible escape for the men
in that direction, I Immediately COM
meneed putting in bulkheads, with q
view of smothering as much as possible
the FIRE by shutting off the supply of air,
and permitting their escape in some other
direction. | Immediately returned to the
surface and communicated what / had
learned to Superintendent Lyman, of the